Dubai, UAE. The United States has sent a 15-point proposal to Iran aimed at securing a ceasefire, a US official said, even as Washington moves additional troops to the Middle East to reinforce its military presence.

Iran’s military dismissed the diplomatic overture, launching fresh attacks on Israel and across the Gulf, including a strike that sparked a fire at Kuwait International Airport.

Facing mounting pressure to end the conflict as it approaches its first month, Washington delivered the proposal through intermediaries from Pakistan, which has offered to host renewed negotiations, according to a person familiar with the plan who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Iran’s attacks on regional energy infrastructure and its disruption of the Strait of Hormuz — a vital shipping lane for roughly a fifth of the world’s oil — have driven crude prices sharply higher and rattled global markets amid fears of a wider energy crisis.

US Deploys More Troops as Talks Falter

The Pentagon is preparing to send at least 1,000 troops from the 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East in the coming days, according to people familiar with the plan. Two Marine units are also being deployed, adding about 5,000 Marines and thousands of sailors to the region.

The moves are seen as giving US President Donald Trump greater flexibility in responding to the conflict, even as diplomatic efforts continue.

Trump has said US officials are engaged in negotiations with Iran, but has not specified the channels. Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, which oversees both the regular military and the Revolutionary Guard, denied any talks were taking place.

“Have your internal conflicts reached the point where you are negotiating with yourselves?” said Lt. Col. Ebrahim Zolfaghari, a spokesman for the command.

“Our first and last word has been the same from day one, and it will stay that way: Someone like us will never come to terms with someone like you,” he said in a televised statement. “Not now, not ever.”

Israeli officials, who have urged Washington to continue its military campaign against Iran, were reportedly caught off guard by the ceasefire proposal. The White House did not respond to requests for comment.

Israel and Iran Exchange Fresh Strikes

The Israeli military said it launched a new wave of large-scale strikes early Wednesday targeting Iranian government infrastructure. Witnesses reported airstrikes in the northwestern city of Qazvin.

Missile sirens also sounded across Israel as Iran carried out retaliatory attacks, which have become a near-daily occurrence since Israel and the US struck Iran on Feb. 28, marking the start of the conflict.

Iran also stepped up pressure on Gulf Arab states. Saudi Arabia said it intercepted at least eight drones over its oil-rich Eastern Province, while sirens were reported in Bahrain.

Kuwait said it shot down multiple drones, but one struck a fuel tank at Kuwait International Airport, igniting a fire that firefighters were working to contain.

Oil Prices Volatile as Diplomacy Faces Hurdles

Brent crude — the global oil benchmark — briefly approached $120 a barrel during the conflict but eased to just under $100 in morning trading as talk of a possible ceasefire tempered market fears. Prices remain nearly 40% higher than at the start of the war.

Any negotiations face steep challenges, with key sticking points including Iran’s ballistic missile program and nuclear activities. Uncertainty also surrounds who in Iran’s leadership would be authorized — or willing — to negotiate, particularly as Israeli strikes continue to target senior officials.

Tehran remains deeply distrustful of Washington, citing past US strikes during periods of high-level diplomacy, including those that triggered the current conflict.

Zolfaghari said the United States lacked credibility to negotiate.

“The strategic power you used to talk about has turned into a strategic failure,” he said. “A self-proclaimed global superpower would have already exited this situation if it could.”

Speaking at the White House on Tuesday, Trump said negotiations were ongoing, involving special envoy Steve Witkoff, senior adviser Jared Kushner, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Vice President JD Vance.

“We have a number of people working on it,” Trump said. “And the other side, I can tell you, would like to make a deal.”

However, Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, rejected claims of direct talks, even as Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi continued consultations with regional counterparts.

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